Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says he is like "Kindergarten Cop" compared to Atlético Madrid boss Diego Simeone, as the sides prepare to meet tonight in their Champions League last-16 first leg.
The runaway Premier League leaders return to the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid, which was the scene of their sixth European Cup triumph last May.
Atlético are currently fourth in the La Liga standings, but Klopp says his opposite number tonight is one of the best managers in the world.
"People say about me that I am emotional on the sideline, so if I am on level four, then I would say Diego is on level 12 or so! Really, I am like the Kindergarten Cop against him!
"It’s really impressive, over all these years. Eight years, that’s really long and having still this emotional level, wow - that’s absolutely impressive.
"As I say, his teams are always world-class organised, so that makes him one of the best. We’ve met once or twice, we exchanged some messages after big defeats or big wins and tomorrow in a real competitive game we will meet for the first time and it will be interesting, absolutely interesting."
📍 Estadio Metropolitano#UCL pic.twitter.com/wPlRG7ogh2
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 17, 2020
Klopp also spoke about how Europe's top-tier club competition seems to bring the very best out of his team.
"It looks like [that]. Some of the best games we played were away games, actually. Bayern was one of the best games I have ever witnessed. The Barcelona game, we lost 3-0, but it was one of the best games I’ve witnessed. If we can get a result then we know Anfield is a proper threat and help.
"That’s the story so far; I have nothing bad to say about that situation, but it doesn’t mean it will be [like that] this time again. If there is a team where you have to, you have to, be at your absolute best in all departments it is Atletico.
"There are no presents tomorrow, absolutely no presents. If you work as hard as possible then you have a chance, but if we don’t do that then we don’t even have a chance. That’s exactly like it is.
"There is a reason why Atletico were that often in European finals as well. Now not for, I don’t know exactly, two or three years or so, but before that and it just shows how long they’ve worked together.
"It is normal you have to change it a little bit; they had to change, they did that, brought in big potential, some experience and it is completely normal. We cannot think about that, I see a team playing and for me, it looks like a real proper machine.
Up next for the Merseysiders after tonight's game is a home tie against West Ham in the Premier League on Monday. Their lead at the summit of the table currently sits at 25 points, with a game more played than second-placed Manchester City.
